Roger Shimomura: An American Knowckoff

Friday, October 29, 2010



I don't know about you, but the above pic from Roger Shimomura's exhibition down at The Flomenhaft Gallery and his artists statement tell me all I want to know -- which is that you should really get on down and check this out.

"I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, a city where ethnic diversity is standard fare, however, for over the last 40 years, I have lived my life in the Midwest where the Asian American presence is still somewhat of a rarity. Since living in Kansas, I have found it to be routine to be asked what part of Japan I am from, or how long I have lived in this country. Just as common, subtle references continue to connect me to stereotypical "oriental" traits, both physical and behavioral. Far too many American-born citizens of Asian descent continue to be thought of as only "American knockoffs".

This latest series of paintings is an attempt to ameliorate the outrage of these misconceptions by depicting myself battling those stereotypes, or in tongue-in-cheek fashion, becoming those very same stereotypes."
Get some more information down at the gallery's site.